Why Time-to-Contact is So Important and How Driver Recruiters Can Speed it Up

As any CDL recruiter knows, there is no such thing as a slow day in the industry. When you combine an industry that has as many twists and turns as the CDL trucking industry with a role as fast-paced as driver recruiting, downtime is nearly non-existent.

Just because driver recruiters are swamped, however, doesn’t mean they can let applicant communication fall to the wayside. Following up in a timely manner is critical when it comes to hiring new drivers and increasing your company’s ability to deliver on tight timelines in such a competitive environment.

While the current driver shortage is causing headaches for many across the CDL trucking industry, smart carriers are turning to innovative, driver-first solutions to help break through the noise and increase hiring. Regardless of how innovative this strategy is, however, it cannot be a success if there aren’t clear operational standards on the back end. Following up with and responding to applicants and leads should be a strong focus of any innovative CDL driver recruiting strategy moving forward.

Responding to a new application lead quickly can help increase the success of driver hiring by:

Not letting drivers slip through the cracksBecause the world of CDL driver recruiting is so fast-paced, recruiters are constantly juggling dozens of tasks per day. It’s easy to see an information request from a new lead come through and think ‘I’ll tackle that tomorrow’ and move on to the next task. But all of sudden it’s been a week since the lead reached out and no one can remember who is owning the follow-up. It’s easier for all involved to simply follow up immediately to keep drivers from slipping through the cracks in the system.

Staying at the top of drivers’ mindsOn the other side of the coin, quick follow-up also keeps a company top-of-mind for the driver lead as well. Since the CDL trucking industry is so competitive, drivers literally have their pick of carriers to work with. While toting the benefits of your organization and highlighting what makes your team stand out from the others are great in helping sway drivers’ minds, sometimes all it takes is a good conversation at the right time to sway a driver’s thought process. Following up with drivers as soon as they reach out or fill out an application ensures you’re staying top-of-mind throughout the drivers’ decision-making process.

Putting drivers’ needs at the forefrontCDL truck driving is a notoriously solo career choice, and the industry itself is subject to a stigma that this solitary vibe is apparent in the way organizations are operated and organized. Carriers can nip this stigma in the bud by starting out on the right foot with applicant leads. Following up quickly, sharing educational resources and content, and being on-hand to answer any questions are all great ways to show drivers that you have their best interests at heart. When it comes time to make a career decision, drivers will appreciate your attention and dedication to delivering a driver-first application process.

How to speed up time-to-contactWhile taking the time to stay on top of applicant follow-ups might sound crazy, it’s actually very doable with the right resources and mindset. Instead of trying to manually track incoming leads, invest in a modern Applicant Tracking System to help track your applicants throughout the entire recruiting process. Your recruiters can now have visibility into new leads, questions, and follow-up status instead of having to rely on a guess-and-check method. Your team could also turn to a CRM platform to create automated follow-up messages and responses.